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A first-time pet owner drove for one hour to adopt the “shyest” kitten at an animal shelter and now her life is completely different. Adopting an animal can be incredibly rewarding, as it gives them a fresh start and a new chance at happiness.

Many shelters are at full capacity, with countless dogs, cats and more waiting for their forever homes. First time owner Jessica emailed a shelter after spotting a little orange kitten who’d been taken in at just two months old, yet was still waiting to be adopted five months later.

Typically, younger animals are rehomed faster than older ones as many people believe they’ll be easier to train and less likely to experience behavioural problems or trauma-related issues. Little Suki was painfully shy, which could have been off-putting to some prospective adopters.

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But Jessica, who posts on TikTok as @juicy_hart, was undeterred. She told Newsweek: “Her being shy did not deter me because I was sure she was only scared and would open up after she knew I was no threat.

“I drove the one hour to go meet her, and when I walked in, she was the first cat that came up to me and let me pet her.”

Just one week after bringing her home, the kitten was already behaving completely differently, showing more confidence. Suki seemed to be content and happy.

Jessica has shared updates on TikTok and, in one particularly popular video which has so far pulled in more than 1.6 million views, she recapped her experience with the kitten.

In the footage, Suki was crouched behind a partition looking nervous and apprehensive. In text written over the top of the clip, Jessica penned: “Adopted the shyest kitten from the shelter who was there for five months.”

In the next clip, Suki was standing in the middle of a room and looking around before the clip cut to her laying on her back, nestled in blankets, as Jessica strokes her.

New text appears which reads: “She doesn’t bite or scratch. I found out she loves belly rubs.”

She added: “We did have to tear apart the whole apartment this morning to find her though”.

Jessica told Newsweek: “She is finally starting to show signs of confidence in her new home. Last night I saw her play with a toy for the first time.

“She scares me in the mornings sometimes because she hides, but I always find her.”

In the comments section, fellow TikTok users were keen to share their thoughts. One person shared: “mine was the shy cat too… he got comfortable way too quickly”.

Another suggested: “Needs a little bell. That’s how we find ours. One roll over or movement and you hear her”.

A third said: “Shy cats are the best! We also adopted the shy shelter cat, they didn’t even want to show her to us, because there was other ‘family friendly’ cats.

“She put her nose on my daughter’s nose after being in the room with her for a few minutes and it was game over. She never hisses, scratches, or bites. We love her.”

And another added: “she’s so very beautiful”.